Barrow's Goldeneye & Northern Pintail Taking Flight on Utah's Jordan River

So I've been hearing about a hot spot for ducks, especially Barrow's Goldeneyes, somewhere around 2300 South and the Jordan River in Salt Lake City. There aren't many reports of Barrow's Goldeneyes in Utah, but this location has been quite reliable since I starting birding several years ago. I've been working just ten minutes from that area for close to a year now so I finally made my way over to the area for about fifteen minutes during a lunch break. Our weather has been ugly in northern Utah for weeks so I timed my short visit to coincide with a little bit of sunshine.

I'll share an image of drake and hen Barrow's Goldeneyes and then images of a drake taking flight along the river in front of me. I'll conclude the images with a drake Northern Pintail on the water and then a few of the duck taking flight.

Drake and Hen Barrow's Goldeneyes on the Jordan River in Salt Lake City, UT

Drake Barrow's Goldeneye Taking Flight Along the Jordan River in Salt Lake City, UT

Drake Barrow's Goldeneye Taking Flight Along the Jordan River in Salt Lake City, UT

Drake Barrow's Goldeneye Taking Flight Along the Jordan River in Salt Lake City, UT

I've always thought the male Northern Pintail is a classy, nice looking duck. That's a Gadwall, by the way, in the background. Anyway, the images below turned out okay for me. I would have liked to have more contrast between the duck and the brown color reflecting on the water from the phragmites along the bank.

Drake Northern Pintail on the Jordan River in Salt Lake City, UT

Drake Northern Pintail Taking Flight Along the Jordan River in Salt Lake City, UT

Drake Northern Pintail Taking Flight Along the Jordan River in Salt Lake City, UT

Drake Northern Pintail Taking Flight Along the Jordan River in Salt Lake City, UT

Encountering Barrow's Goldeneyes in Salt Lake County

While taking a brief walk along the Jordan River Parkway Trail near Sandy Pond in Salt Lake County on February 18th I was able to capture decent images of Barrow's Goldeneyes. We see countless Common Goldeneyes in Utah and Salt Lake Counties during the winter months. Barrow's Goldeneyes, however, are not "common" (because they are Barrow's right?) so it is always a fun exercise to scan through the Commons in hopes of finding the surprise Barrow's Goldeneye.  Male Barrow's stand out quickly with their big white tear-drop patches at the base of their bills, but females can be challenging to spot because they are very similar in appearance to female Commons.  With my recent encounter I was fortunate to have a handsome male catch my attention initially. As I watched him I realized he had a female companion sticking closely by his side. Her bill was mostly yellow rather than mostly dark with a yellow tip that you see with Commons. She also had the steeply sloped forehead associated with Barrow's.

Male and Female Barrow's Goldeneye on Jordan River in Sandy, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Male and Female Barrow's Goldeneye on Jordan River in Sandy, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

The image below introduces a third Goldeneye that I believe is also a Barrow's. It never strayed more than a few feet from the adult male and female. Over time I watched the Commons go one way while the Barrow's went another. Each time this younger duck went with the two adult Barrow's. According to my Sibley app young female Barrow's Goldeneyes should show yellow on their bills by around December. This image was captured in February. This young duck is showing some lightening of the bill color at the tip so it may be the beginning of the yellowing of the bill.  Other 1st-winter males that have been seen in the river are already showing the beginnings of the white crescent at the base of their bills. I and a few local birders lean toward this one being a 1st-winter female Barrow's. I'd love to get some feedback on this if you have experience with young Barrow's.

Adult Male and Female Barrow's Goldeneye with Possible 1st Winter Barrow's Goldeneye on Jordan River, Sandy, UT
(Photo by Jeff Cooper)

This final image captures the male Barrow's Goldeneye as it picks up speed to take flight from the Jordan River.

Adult Male Barrow's Goldeneye Taking Flight on Jordan River in Sandy, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)